Mt. Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot

Cambridge, in partnership with Watertown, received a community grant from the Barr Foundation to work with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to pilot bus priority improvements on Mt. Auburn Street, west of Fresh Pond Parkway. This pilot will improve travel for more than MBTA Route 71 and 73 bus riders making more than 12,000 daily trips, as well as for riders of Mount Auburn Hospital and athenahealth shuttles, while improving the flow of traffic and safety for everyone on the road. In the morning commute, near Fresh Pond Parkway, more than half of the people on Mt. Auburn Street are on MBTA Buses.

In both directions, a shared bus-bike lane on Mount Auburn St. from Cottage St. to Mt. Auburn St.

Signal upgrades with bus priority

The pilot uses temporary materials, like paint and signs, that will remain in place during project evaluation; it is also the first step towards implementing a long-term plan for the corridor. The pilot will take place in conjunction with planned Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) improvements to intersections at Coolidge Ave and Fresh Pond Parkway that will increase capacity on Mount Auburn Street and improve safety and convenience for cyclists and pedestrians in the intersection.

January 2019

Design Features

Bus priority features in this pilot include:

Dedicated lanes to take bus riders out of car congestion for significant segments of Mount Auburn Street between Belmont Street and Fresh Pond Parkway. Other cities that have tested dedicated lanes have found that they result in faster trips for people riding the bus – as well as overall improved traffic flow for people in cars and on bikes because buses no longer pull in and out of traffic.

Inbound “queue jump” lanes to give buses and shuttles priority in intersections on Mount Auburn Street and Belmont Street near where they meet .

Re-timed traffic signals and transit signal priority to be implemented where feasible so that buses get more green light time when needed but also to improve traffic flow overall.

Informational "User's Guide" for New Traffic Patterns

The City of Cambridge created some new informational graphics to share with people on how to use the new dedicated lanes on Mount Auburn Street.

Design Plans

Final design plans with signage and street striping for the Mt. Auburn Bus Priority Pilot Project in PDF format are found by clicking the bulleted items below.

Mid-October, Check out this new document with questions and answers on the design of the new bus and bike-only lanes, transit signal priority, and queue jump features.

October 15, project staff began implementing features of the Mt. Auburn Bus Priority Pilot project. DCR also worked signal installation and timing changes at Coolidge Avenue. Additional monitoring and calibration continued through the week.

March 2018

December 2017

Cambridge, in partnership with Watertown, received a community grant from the Barr Foundation to work with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to pilot bus priority improvements for routes 71 and 73 along Mt. Auburn St., between Belmont St. and Fresh Pond Parkway. Read the press release announcement

A two-page flier with information on the Mount Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot Project. Includes information on the upcoming dedicated bus lane installation and information for people driving, walking, and biking on Mount Auburn street on how to use the new dedicated bus and bicycle lane.